Anesthesiology is interesting and challengingfield of study. No surgical operation will be conducted withoutanesthesiologist’s control. However, to become an anesthesiologist you willspend much time and efforts. If you are not afraid of difficulties, then youare welcome to find out how to become an anesthesiologist.

Undergraduate Degree

Undergraduate education is a requirement forevery student considering to enter a medical school. There is no specificpre-medical degree, however, your undergraduate program should include severalcourses. Medical schools require strong knowledge in anatomy, biology,biochemistry, physics, math. Take these courses during your Bachelor’s degreeprogram, and you will be well-prepared for MCAT. All in all undergraduateprogram will take you four years.

Medical School

Every anesthesiologist must become a Doctor ofMedicine first. Graduate program in medical school will take you another fouryears. M.D. is a general degree for all students choosing a particularspecialization in future. Medical schools are multiple (126 schools accreditedin the USA, to be more specific), so you won’t have problems with a place topursue a Doctoral degree.

Your curriculum will include pharmacology, neuroscience,behavioral science, biochemistry and so on. In addition to theoretical courses,you will have practicum. Medical schools cooperate with a number of medicalcenters and hospitals where students get experience in diagnosing and treatingpatients. You will work under the supervision of professionals in variousmedical specialties

Residency in Anesthesiology

Your anesthesiologist career starts only aftergraduation from medical school with M.D. degree. To become an anesthesiologistyou will spend four more years. As you can see, anesthesiologist educationtakes 12 years in general. However, the time spent for studying pays back infuture: anesthesiologists receive one of the highest salaries in medical field.Resident training for anesthesiologists includes one year of medical orsurgical internship and three years of anesthesiologist education itself.

Some anesthesiologists want to specialize in aspecific field, like pediatrics or neurology, for instance. If you are amongthose people, be ready to spend one more year for studying. You can work forseveral years as a generalist, and then choose a specialty to your taste.

Certification

To become a licensed anesthesiologist you willhave to undergo several certification stages. The first step is the US Medicaland Licensing Examination (UMLE). You will have to pass this exam after thegraduation from medical school. It makes you eligible for practicing medicine.Next exam will test your readiness to become an anesthesiologist. It should bepassed during your residency training. It includes oral and written parts andis administered by the American Board of Anesthesiology. Successful completionof this stage gives you a title of Board Certified Anesthesiologist. However,if you specialize in a particular field of anesthesiology, you will have totake one more test in your specialty.

As you may guess, becoming an anesthesiologistis not a piece of cake. You will be responsible for people’s lives, so you mustbe well-educated and perfectly trained. Don’t spare your efforts, and you willget both interesting and highly-paid job in future.